Kill the LawyersWhat’s left of the HR Nichols Society must be popping the champagne this week, with a NSW court ruling that sees the triumph of their 20-year battle to kill industrial relations and replace it with a ‘rule of law’.

Unions: Tackling the Heavy HittersTony Butterfield became a State of Origin gladiator at the unlikely age of 33. Even that, Jim Marr reports, couldn’t prepare him for the knock-down, drag-em-out world of modern IR.

Economics: Ideology and Free TradeThe absurdities of neoclassical economic assumptions has never stood in the way of their being trotted out to justify profiteering and attacks on the rights of citizens. The AUSFTA is the latest rort we are supposed to swallow, writes Neale Towart.

PoliticsThe Westie Wing As the NSW Labor Government sells its first budget deficit in nine years, the real concern for the union movement is the devil in the detail, especially when it comes to procurement agreements, writes Ian West.

The SoapboxRubber BulletsLabor's IR spokesman Craig Emerson launches a few characteristic salvos across the Parliamentary chamber

The Locker RoomTears After Bedtime Phil Doyle says that it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye

PostcardPostcard from VietnamAPHEDA's Hoang Thi Le Hang reports from the north of Vietnam on a project being fund by Australian unionists.,

"They decided to restructure Centacare and brought in a corporate consultant who went for spill and fill by sacking everybody, including the manager of nine years," Lynch said.

"We're not going to stand by and watch people lose their jobs through no fault of their own and nor will the wider union movement.

"We want the Bishop's direct intervention to help us sort this matter out before Centacare is subject to multi-union pickets."

Lynch accused Brian Dunn, director of the Tighes Hill operation that works with homeless youth, of being out of touch with the Catholic Church's community and social values. Most of the affected workers are under 30 and some are single mothers.

Staff at Centacare Yough Accommodation Support Service, walked off the job and rallied outside the director's office, last Friday.

Dunn has already re-advertised their positions and has refused to meet with the union until after the closing date for applications.

Lynch said Centacare had denied the eight existing youth workers the right to be redeployed as part of the corporate restructure.

"We believe senior officials in Centacare and the Catholic Church have no idea of the human and social costs of the director's actions," Lynch said. "He has given us no option but to fight for the jobs and clients' rights to a decent service."